Electorate are rulers in democracy: Judge C M Joshi

Principal District and Sessions Judge C M Joshi said as voters played an important role in the development of country, every citizen, who has turned 18, should exercise their franchise.

He was addressing the gathering after inaugurating the National Voters’ Day programme, organised by district administration in association with Zilla Panchayat and district legal services authority, at Town Hall on Saturday.

The judge said it was the right of the people to elect their representatives through the democratic process. India is the biggest democracy in the world, he said.

Joshi stressed on creating high level of awareness to motivate young voters to register their names in the voters’ list. The voters should be part of the development process and in true sense the electorate are the rulers in democracy, he emphasised. District Legal Service Authority Member Secretary Kaveri Lele said the Constitution of country had empowered citizens by giving them voting rights without any discrimination on the lines of religion, caste, class, creed, belief and colour.

She lamented that the educated citizens were abstaining from voting, which is hampering true meaning of democracy.

Kaveri urged the youth to excercise their franchise in large numbers. “The changes can be realised in society when there is active participation by voters,” she said.

Oath administered

Additional Deputy Commissioner Sadashiva Prabhu administered oath to the voters on the occasion. Campus Ambassador Harshal Rao and first-time voters were felicitated on the occasion.

Alur High School, Brahamavar PU College, KMC-Manipal, Padukere Government Polytechnic College and Lakshmi Soma Bangera PU College were honoured as the Best Electoral Literacy Clubs (ELC).

No ELC awards

For the second year in a row, the names of colleges which had won the Electoral Literacy Club were not made public during the National Voters’ Day celebrations orgainsed at Town Hall on Saturday.

The colleges through ELC conduct voter awareness programmes on voting rights, guiding people in obtaining voter ID Card, motivating new voters to register in voters’ list among others with their own expense.

Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer Dr Selvamani R when contacted said he had no information about the ELC. Awards were presented to anganwadis but not to Best ELC awards to colleges, he added.